About this item
Reflecting on America's civil rights era, Bennett, cofounder and CEO of Bennett Global Entertainment, relives his coming-of-age years as a military brat traveling abroad and stateside in this understated, restrained memoir. The Bennett family, with his father in the U.S. Air Force, lives on a series of bases in Spain, Maine, Florida, and Colorado. The military bubble somewhat protects them from the challenges of Jim Crow. Bennett writes boldly of intense confusion in his racial identity, alienation within his black community, and unease among his white classmates in every new location. "Was I a white kid in black skin, or a black kid with white sensibilities?" Bennett writes. "Or did any of it matter?" When his battle-fatigued father returns from Vietnam with an alcoholism problem, the family tries to adjust to his erratic behavior, his conduct pushing each member to an emotional breaking point, but they never succumb to his failings.
About the Author
Author, actor, host, travel expert and entrepreneur Michael Gordon Bennett was born January 1958, in Atlantic City, New Jersey but left a year after his birth when his father joined the United States Air Force. As a brat, Michael lived in New Hampshire, Spain, Maine, Florida and Colorado. This would eventually lead him to join the Air Force two years after high school. After military service he dabbled in the acting world to pay his college tuition and support his young son. Michael appeared in numerous commercials, had a short arc on a soap opera, hosted a travel show and appeared in several movies. After three years in television news, the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself when he became Senior Producer for the Travel Channel. He has now been involved in travel and tourism for nearly two decades, and is arguably the foremost African American travel expert in the country. His stories have appeared in numerous national and travel trade publications. He speaks at travel trade shows and provides marketing expertise to destinations worldwide. 7-10 Split: My Journey as America's Whitest Black Kid is a memoir of his experience growing up in a racially polarized world he knew little about. His story is chalked full of life experiences that collectively gives him a unique perspective on the destructive forces of America's original sin, and the strength of the human spirit to overcome those evil forces through love and compassion for our fellow man.
